Posted on 07/07/2018 12:25:08 PM PDT by BBell
NASEEB, Syria — Syrian soldiers fanned out across towns and villages in southern Syria Saturday, celebrating the recapture of the main border crossing with Jordan by raising portraits of President Bashar Assad and tearing down rebel flags.
Troops captured the Naseeb border crossing a day earlier following a crushing two-week military offensive, after rebels announced they had reached an agreement with Russian mediators to end the violence in the southern province of Daraa and surrender the crossing.
Some flashed victory signs and pumped fists in the air as they chanted pro-Assad slogans. A soldier could be seen hoisting the Syrian flag atop a watchtower. Another tore down the rebel flag from a building.
One officer said that troops have taken up positions along the border with Jordan and are blocking illegal crossing points.
"We have ended their existence," he said of the rebels. "They have no future anymore, God willing."
The crossing was once a bustling and vital artery through which Syria exported goods to Jordan and from there on to oil-rich Gulf countries. Rebels seized it in 2015, severing that lifeline and disrupting a key overland trade route also for Jordan
An Associated Press journalist escorted by the Syrian army on Saturday saw troops setting up checkpoints along the largely deserted road leading up to the crossing, full of potholes from shelling; they removed sand barriers and burnt out cars by its side.
Heavy white smoke rose from a smoldering match factory in the free zone next to the crossing. Government buildings also bore the marks of fighting and shelling. Some were partially burned, windows were broken and looting appeared to have been pervasive.
Russian military police were seen taking up positions on both sides of the border.
(Excerpt) Read more at stripes.com ...
Further down the article it states that some of refugees from Jordan and Lebanon are starting to return. Maybe this will start a trend.
Why are they so worked up over getting back their border crossing? Must be a bunch of xenophobic racists, or something! /sarcasm;)
Good news...cuts down on the number of US trained jihadists and support material crossing over from Jordan.
28,000 Syrians have returned to Syria from Jordan in the past two days, after the Syrian govt retook its border with Jordan. They were waiting for this.
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